(This local trivia appeared in The Oxford Review on Saturday, February 19, 2000 page 17 along side my article entitled "The importance of Black History Month" and "A Quiz to test your knowledge on Black History" that was printed with permission from The Hamilton Spectator.)
Oxford County Black History Trivia
1. Which inn in Oxford County was not only a terminal for the Underground Railroad but where the American Abolitionist, John Brown stayed at?
a) The Nelson Hotel
b) Royal Hotel
c) The Daly House
d) The Imperial Hotel
2. Which of the following was one of the oldest organized sports in Woodstock?
a) Hockey
b) Baseball
c) Soccer
d) Cricket
3. Where is the plaque erected to commemorate the Black settlement in South Norwich?
a) Otterville
b) Springford
c) Norwich
d) Newark
4. Only second, to that of Chatham, which town in Oxford County had the largest Black community?
a) Norwich
b) Ingersoll
c) Tillsonburg
d) Otterville
5. The African Methodist Episcopal Church was later renamed the British Methodist Episcopal Church of Canada (BME Church). Which street was the BME Church located in Woodstock?
a) Vansittart Avenue
b) Dundas Street
c) Park Row
d) Barwick Street
6. It was reported that this famous Town Crier in Woodstock could be heard in Eastwood if the wind was right. Who was he?
a) Chicken George
b) Charles Washington
c) George Washington Jones
d) Samuel L. Jackson
7. Which religious group helped to assist Blacks to settle in Oxford County?
a) Presbyterians
b) Quakers
c) Methodists
d) Anglicans
8. This church was built in 1854, scorched by fire in 1872, repaired, and demolished in 1956 for a car wash.
a) The Wesleyan Methodist Church
b) African Methodist Episcopal Church
c) The United Church of Canada
d) Knox United
9. What year did the game Cricket begin in Woodstock?
a) 1962
b) 1926
c) 1840
d) 1820
10. The merchants of Woodstock knew Marshall Anderson and his Great Dane dog, Seeker, as what?
a) Night Watchman
b) Town Constable
c) Worked for over 20 years
d) All of the above
11. S.S. No. 18 was a school attended by Black students in Norwich Township. What year was this school built?
a) 1812
b) 1831
c) 1901
d) 1928
12. The BME Church in Otterville, debt free by 1864, was known to have large “Bush Meetings”. Where did the people come from?
a) Ingersoll
b) Tillsonburg
c) Brantford
d) All of the above
a) The Nelson Hotel
b) Royal Hotel
c) The Daly House
d) The Imperial Hotel
2. Which of the following was one of the oldest organized sports in Woodstock?
a) Hockey
b) Baseball
c) Soccer
d) Cricket
3. Where is the plaque erected to commemorate the Black settlement in South Norwich?
a) Otterville
b) Springford
c) Norwich
d) Newark
4. Only second, to that of Chatham, which town in Oxford County had the largest Black community?
a) Norwich
b) Ingersoll
c) Tillsonburg
d) Otterville
5. The African Methodist Episcopal Church was later renamed the British Methodist Episcopal Church of Canada (BME Church). Which street was the BME Church located in Woodstock?
a) Vansittart Avenue
b) Dundas Street
c) Park Row
d) Barwick Street
6. It was reported that this famous Town Crier in Woodstock could be heard in Eastwood if the wind was right. Who was he?
a) Chicken George
b) Charles Washington
c) George Washington Jones
d) Samuel L. Jackson
7. Which religious group helped to assist Blacks to settle in Oxford County?
a) Presbyterians
b) Quakers
c) Methodists
d) Anglicans
8. This church was built in 1854, scorched by fire in 1872, repaired, and demolished in 1956 for a car wash.
a) The Wesleyan Methodist Church
b) African Methodist Episcopal Church
c) The United Church of Canada
d) Knox United
9. What year did the game Cricket begin in Woodstock?
a) 1962
b) 1926
c) 1840
d) 1820
10. The merchants of Woodstock knew Marshall Anderson and his Great Dane dog, Seeker, as what?
a) Night Watchman
b) Town Constable
c) Worked for over 20 years
d) All of the above
11. S.S. No. 18 was a school attended by Black students in Norwich Township. What year was this school built?
a) 1812
b) 1831
c) 1901
d) 1928
12. The BME Church in Otterville, debt free by 1864, was known to have large “Bush Meetings”. Where did the people come from?
a) Ingersoll
b) Tillsonburg
c) Brantford
d) All of the above
A Quiz to test your knowledge on Black History
1. This former slave founded a community for American fugitive slaves near Dresden, Ontario and then helped defend the government during the 1837 Rebellion of Upper Canada.
2. Perhaps the most famous fugitive, this woman in 1851 began her journeys ferrying slaves across the border to Canada through the Underground Railroad. She eventually made 19 trips, freeing over 300 people.
3. This black doctor, born in 1904 in the United States, studied at McGill University and discovered a process for the storing of blood plasma, thus setting the stage for today's blood banks.
4. In 1975, this woman was the first black member of the British Columbia legislature and was the Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission that ended in 1996.
5. A man responsible for a string of firsts in Canada: a lawyer in Hamilton, Ontario, he became the first black Member of Parliament in 1968. He later became the first black Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1985 to 1991.
6. A national award exemplifying the achievements of African Canadians is given the honour of this African Canadian athlete, who in 1971 was awarded the Order of Canada medal of service for "excellence in all fields of Canadian life."
7. A writer, publisher, teacher, lawyer and mother, this extraordinary woman became the first woman and first black woman editor of the Canadian newspaper She too was The Provincial Freeman, established in 1853.
8. This black man, born in Canada, was responsible for creating a device called a "lubricating cup". His inventions was responsible for speeding up railroads and production in the factories. People now say the popular phrase "The Real McCoy" in honour of the quality of this man's contribution.
9. Hamilton became the first city in Canada to have a traffic stop light at an intersection. This remarkable device came from the mind of this black man.
10. Known as the first black person to arrive on Canadian soil who was not a slave. He was an explorer, pioneer and who travelled with the expedition of Samuel de Champlain in the early 1600's and served as an interpreter between the French and Micmac Indians.
2. Perhaps the most famous fugitive, this woman in 1851 began her journeys ferrying slaves across the border to Canada through the Underground Railroad. She eventually made 19 trips, freeing over 300 people.
3. This black doctor, born in 1904 in the United States, studied at McGill University and discovered a process for the storing of blood plasma, thus setting the stage for today's blood banks.
4. In 1975, this woman was the first black member of the British Columbia legislature and was the Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission that ended in 1996.
5. A man responsible for a string of firsts in Canada: a lawyer in Hamilton, Ontario, he became the first black Member of Parliament in 1968. He later became the first black Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1985 to 1991.
6. A national award exemplifying the achievements of African Canadians is given the honour of this African Canadian athlete, who in 1971 was awarded the Order of Canada medal of service for "excellence in all fields of Canadian life."
7. A writer, publisher, teacher, lawyer and mother, this extraordinary woman became the first woman and first black woman editor of the Canadian newspaper She too was The Provincial Freeman, established in 1853.
8. This black man, born in Canada, was responsible for creating a device called a "lubricating cup". His inventions was responsible for speeding up railroads and production in the factories. People now say the popular phrase "The Real McCoy" in honour of the quality of this man's contribution.
9. Hamilton became the first city in Canada to have a traffic stop light at an intersection. This remarkable device came from the mind of this black man.
10. Known as the first black person to arrive on Canadian soil who was not a slave. He was an explorer, pioneer and who travelled with the expedition of Samuel de Champlain in the early 1600's and served as an interpreter between the French and Micmac Indians.
Quote: “The hardest thing about being Black in Canada is the prejudice I face and that’s where my fear comes from. ~ Cameron Davis ~ (15-year-old YouTuber)